U.S. Sails Warship Close to Chinese-Claimed Reef: WSJ
- Patrol is first freedom of navigation operation under Trump
- Pentagon declines to confirm details of sail-by operation
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The U.S. has conducted its first freedom of navigation operation in the disputed South China Sea under President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The patrol was made Wednesday by the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey near Mischief Reef, a feature in the Spratly islands where China has built an artificial outpost equipped with an airfield, the newspaper reported, citing unidentified officials. The move was aimed at signaling to China that the U.S. intends to keep critical sea lanes open, according to the report.